The 10 Best Hair & Makeup Looks. Period.

Over the past 70 years, we’ve reported on literally thousands of beauty trends, from sky-high beehive hair to eyelash extensions. We know a keeper when we see it! These classic ideas have made women gorgeous for decades—they’ll do the same for you today, tomorrow, forever.

Whoa! Waves

Would Brigitte Bardot, Farrah Fawcett and Jessica Simpson have become household names without ‘em? We think not. “Women can’t get enough of waves—you see them year after year,” says shoot hair pro Thomas McKiver of the NYC metro area’s Bond Academy. The now approach: Make them touchable, not hairsprayed stiff.

Lushed-up Lashes

Cleavage may attract lots of attention, but lashes have quiet powers all their own. “Her eyelashes were so long, they made shadows…the other girls envied her,” is how Louise Erdrich describes a character in one novel. Why be jealous? They’re completely gettable.

“Naked” Makeup and 100% Natural Hair

Few things are more beautiful than hair that isn’t fussed with. “I tell women of all textures, ‘Stay true to your ‘do, and stay true to you,’” says Linda Jones, author of Nappyisms (a book about African American hair). “It’s about being confident with yourself—that’s more important than a blowout!”

Red Lips and Baby Pink Nails

There’s a reason it’s the official shade of stars everywhere—it’s that stunning. (Legend has it that on the set of one film, Elizabeth Taylor made extras wear neutral lipstick; red was reserved for her.) Glamour’s beauty director Felicia Milewicz puts on no other color.

Remember how you hated black polish in the nineties (too goth), but couldn’t get enough of it in 2006 (when there was a waiting list for Chanel Black Satin), only to watch its popularity fade for…eggplant? Trendy polish colors come and go, but pale pink remains. “It’s glam, it looks great on all skin tones and it really hides chips,” says celeb manicurist Jin Soon Choi.

Cali-girl Style

The Beach Boys built an entire career on surfer babes, with their wind-tousled hair and sunny highlights. These days you don’t have to be born blond, live in California or use the word dude to pull off the look.

Mod Bangs and Sun-kissed Skin

“Bangs draw attention to your eyes. They’re a quick change without
a full-on cut,” says Tommy Buckett, a hairstylist at Sally Hershberger Downtown NYC Salon, who recently gave them to Mandy Moore. “Some celebs are under TV or movie contracts to keep their length, but bangs are a loophole!” Don’t have ‘em? Neither does our model Candice; McKiver used falsies.

A Girly Ponytail

The innocent look has eternal allure. “Who doesn’t want to appear 16?” says Cantello. “Unless you are 16, in which case you want to look 25!”